Method of cleaning railroad track



' y 9 R. J. FOXX ETAL 3,391,025

METHOD OF CLEANING RAILROAD TRACK Filed April 9, 1963 s Sheets-Sheet 1 VENTOR5.

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July 2, 1968 oxx ETAL 3,391,025

METHOD OF CLEANING RAILROAD TRACK Filed April 9, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR5. idiif I01) I BY fl/i/Yf Mali/(WI 2, 8 R. J. FOXX ETAL 3,391,025

METHOD OF CLEANING RAILROAD TRACK United States Patent 3,31,025 METHOD OF CLEANING RAILROAD TRACK Robert J. Foxx, Greenfield, and Dieter W. Moericke, Cudahy, Wis., assignors to Nordberg Manufacturing Company, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Filed Apr. 9, 1963, Ser. No. 271,751 2 Claims. (Cl. 134-6) This invention relates to a method for removing ballast from a railroad track and particularly to a method which can be used to clean switches.

A primary purpose of the invention is a method employing a self-propelled vehicle of the type described including a rotary sweeper mounted at the end of a traversing boom.

Another purpose is a method employing a track sweeper of the type described which is simple in construction and reliably operable.

Another purpose is a method employing a track sweeper, which may be self-propelled, and which mounts a plurality of rotary paddles at its forward end for cleaning the track area around switches.

Another purpose is a method employing a track cleaner having a rotary sweeper substantially smaller in width than the space between the track rails.

Another purpose is a method employing a track cleaner having a forwardly extending boom which may be raised and lowered as well as pivoted about a generally vertical axis.

Another purpose is a method of cleaning railroad track, particularly switches.

Other purposes will appear in the ensuing specification, drawings and claims.

The invention is illustrated diagrammatically in the following drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective of a track cleaner of the type described,

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the traversing boom and sweeper, with different positions of the boom illustrated in dotted lines,

FIGURE 3 is a section along plane 33 of FIG- URE 2, and

FIGURE 4 is a section along plane 4-4 of FIG- URE 3.

Considering FIGURE 1, the vehicle may include a cab 16 mounted on a frame indicated generally at 12. The frame may mount conventional flanged wheels 14 for moving the vehicle over the railroad track 16. Preferably, the vehicle is self-propelled and the operator, from within the cab 10, may drive the vehicle as well as manipulate the sweeping means described hereinafter.

Extending outwardly from at laterally extending opening 18 in the front of the vehicle is a boom indicated generally at 20. The boom 20 may be formed by a pair of spaced flanged beams 22, shown as back to back channels, which are pivotally mounted on a pivot pin 24 at their inward ends. A pair of vertically spaced, somewhat triangular-shaped plates 26 are slidably mounted on spaced rods 28 fixed to the frame 12. The boom 20 is pivotal about a vertical axis formed by pivot pin 24 which extends through both of the plates 26. A bushing or the like 30 may surround the pivot pin 24 between the plates.

Pivotally attached, as at 32, to one corner of the lower generally triangular-shaped plate 26 is a piston 34 slideable in a cylinder 36, with the cylinder being pivotally attached to a bracket 38 mounted on boom 20. Preferably the piston and cylinder assembly is hydraulic, although it may be air, electric, or otherwise. The piston and cylinder assembly is effective to pivot boom 20 about pivot pin 24 and to move the boom back and forth across the full width of the trackto the positions shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 2.

3,391,925 Patented July 2, 1968 "ice A forwardly extending general control beam 21 is attached to the frame 12 and mounts a downwardly extending bracket 23 at its forward end. A cylinder 25 is pivotally attached to a bracket 29 on bottom plate 26. The piston 27 and cylinder 25 are effective to slidably move boom 20 on rods 28.

Pivotally mounted at the forward end of the boom 20 is a sweeping assembly or impeller indicated generally at 40. An arm or link 42 or the like is pivoted to a corner 44 of top plate 46 of the sweeping assembly 40. The rear end of link 42 is pivotally connected to top plate 26. When the piston and cylinder assembly pivots the boom 20, link '42 is effective to maintain the sweeping in an alignment such that it is always generally parallel to the rails, This is clearly indicated in FIGURE 2.

The sweeping assembly or impeller 40 includes a top plate 46 which pivots on a shaft 48 extending upwardly through a pair of spaced plates 5t) which are attached to channels 22. The shaft 48 permits the sweeping assembly to pivot on the end of boom 20. Also mounted on top plate 46 is a motor or drive 62 which may be a hydraulic motor or otherwise. A chain or the like 54 is driven by motor 52 and runs down and around a lower sprocket 56 connected to a drive shaft 58. A chain drive is not essential and other drive arrangements may be satisfactory. The drive shaft 58 may have a generally central portion which is somewhat square in cross section and mounts a plurality, in this case four, flexible paddles 60. The invention should not be limited to any particular number or shape of paddles. The paddles may be fixed by bolts or the like 62 to brackets 64 which extend outwardly from each of the sides of the square portion of the shaft 58.

The blades or paddles 60 may be formed of a resilient stifiiy flexible rubber material, preferably backed up by canvas or a fabric or textile mesh, possibly two to four mesh, on the rear side 66. The overall strip may be inch in thickness with the dimensionally stabilizing material on the order of inch to A; inch. The fabric or textile may be bonded or vulcanized to the back of the resilient material or it may be molded directly in or otherwise secured. The invention should not be limited to the precise blades shown and described. It should be noted that the blades have a radial length substantially greater than their width. It is practical to keep the blades narrow to project them the maximum distance into the switch heel. The sweeping assembly is completed by a guard or shield 68 having sides 70, with the shield being somewhat arcuate and extending forwardly to enclose slightly more than one-quarter of the full travel of the blades.

Flexible rubber-like paddles have been shown as the blades or working elements of the impeller, and it should be understood that other blade elements or flexible units may be used. For example cable ends, closely spaced, and removably clamped so that they may be replaced when worn, may be used. It will also be understood that the rubber-like blades shown'and described are removably mounted so that they may be replaced when damaged or excessively worn. While the boom 26 has been shown as slidably mounted on the slide rods to raise and lower the impeller, it should be understood that the boom may be pivoted between raised to lowered positions.

The impeller itself may be mounted to slide on a cross slide arrangement instead of being pivoted on a boom ahead of the car. In either arrangement, or whatever traversing zurangement is used, an automatic mechanism may be provided so that when the impeller reaches or contacts one rail, it will automatically reverse and move back toward the other rail. The rate of speed during traverse may be adjusted, depending upon track conditions and may be coordinated with the depth the impeller is set for. In certain situations the lower excursion or sweep of the paddles may be set slightly below the tops of the ties so that the cribs will be fully cleaned and the tops of the ties will be iven a positive flexed stroke by the paddles.

The impeller has been shown as extending forward from the car on a boom, but it should be understood that it may be mounted within the frame of the car with a suitable raising and lowering mechanism and a suitable traverse or cross slide.

In any event, guards may be positioned on each side of the impeller slightly forward of it and suitably spaced so that the material deflected forward by the impeller may be channeled to one side or the other or straight ahead.

It may be advantageous to move a small hopper ahead of the impeller. It might be pushed by the sweeper vehicle, assuming that the sweeper itself is self-propelled. The hopper might be positioned at a suitable distance ahead of the impeller and the guards or bathing around the impeller and on the hopper would be such that the propelled material would automatically be deflected and channeled into the hopper. The hopper itself might be built like a wheelbarrow so that, when filled, it could be rolled away and another positioned in its place. A plurality of such hoppers might be used as a team so that the switch cleaner could operate continuously. This might be particularly advantageous in a railroad yard where the turnouts are closely spaced and the dirt and debris of one switch might merely collect or be thrown on another.

The use, operation and function of the invention are as follows:

The vehicle shown is preferably self-propelled and can be completely operated by one man within the cab. The vehicle is particularly useful in cleaning switches or crossovers. The boom will be lowered down to a proper height between the spaced rails such that the rotor or sweeping assembly with the flexible paddles will strike the ties and propel the ballast forwardly. The boom may be traversed across the space between the rails during the sweeping operation. Preferably the width of the flexible paddles is substantially less than the distance between the rails and the narrower the paddles, the closer they may come to the switch heel.

A hydraulic piston and cylinder assembly may be used to traverse or move the boom and sweeping rotor back and forth across the space between the rails. In some applications an automatic arrangement for traversing the rails may be provided. Also, other traversing arrangements such as a cross slide may be satisfactory. A second piston and cylinder assembly is provided to raise and lower the boom so that the sweeper may be set at the proper height to sweep the ballast. The height of the rails may vary and it is necessary to pick up the boom when moving from one area to the next.

It is particularly advantageous to use the parallelogram arrangement shown in FIGURE 2 for maintaining the sweeper in the proper orientation to sweep in a forward direction. Rod 42 enables the sweeper to always be generally parallel to the direction of the rails. This is important so that the ballast will be thrown directly ahead of the machine. In some applications the sweeper may be oriented at a slight angle to track direction if it is desired to direct the ballast to one side.

A hydraulic motor is shown as the drive for the impeller, although this may vary. It is preferable to use a hydraulic motor when hydraulic piston and cylinder assemblies are used for pivoting and raising and lowering the boom. The drive may be a two-speed arrangement, with one speed for working and a scond faster speed for traveling.

Although the device is described as being self-propelled, it may be otherwise. A large group of track working equipment may be tied together and a single vehicle may be used to propel the entire train.

When cleaning a switch, the machine will begin at the heel of the switch and work out. In order to clean both sides of the switch it is preferred to have a suitable mechanism for turning the vehicle around. A piston and cylinder assembly positioned at the center of gravity of the machine and arranged to lift it up off the rails is one satisfactory mechanism.

Whereas the preferred form of the invention has been shown and described herein, it should be realized that there are many modifications, substitutions and alterations thereto within the scope of the following claims.

We claim:

1. A method of cleaning railroad track, including the steps of providing a rotary impeller having an axial extent a fraction of the normal distance between the rails, rotating the impeller at a relatively high r.p.m., positioning the impeller between the rails so that the lower sweep of the impeller will be generally at the same level as the tops of the ties, disposing the axis of the impeller generally perpendicular to the rails, traversing the impeller back and forth between the rails in a path generally perpendicular to the rails, and while the impeller is being so traversed, moving the impeller in a direction generally parallel to the rails at a linear rate of speed substantially less than the traversing rate of speed.

2. A method of cleaning railroad track, including the steps of providing a rotary impeller having a limited axial extent a fraction of the normal distance between the rails, rotating the impeller at a relatively high r.p.m., positioning the impeller between the rails so that the lower sweep of the impeller will be generally at the same level as the tops of the ties, disposing the axis of the impeller generally perpendicular to the rails, traversing the impeller back and forth between the rails in a path generally parallel to the ties while maintaining the axis of the impeller generally perpendicular to the rails, and while the impeller is being so traversed, moving the impeller forward in a direction generally parallel to the rails at a linear rate of speed substantially less than the traversing rate of speed.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS I 796,006 7/1886 Smith 15-55 X 414,511 11/1889 Fisher 104-55 X 2,777,220 1/1957 Bates 15-55 X 3,005,274 10/1961 Kershaw 15-55 X 2,041,442 5/1936 Stinsman 15-49 2,148,841 2/1939 Senior. 2,236,813 4/1941 Evans 134-6 2,869,159 1/1959 Kershaw 15-55 3,061,480 10/1962 Zink et al. 134-6 3,087,179 4/1963 Talboys 15-55 MORRIS O. WOLK, Primary Examiner. I. ZATARGA, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A METHOD OF CLEANING RAILROAD TRACK, INCLUDING THE STEPS OF PROVIDING A ROTARY IMPELLER HAVING AN AXIAL EXTENT A FRACTION OF THE NORMAL DISTANCE BETWEEN THE RAILS, ROTATING THE IMPELLER AT A RELATIVELY HIGH R.P.M., POSITION ING THE IMPELLER BETWEEN THE RAILS SO THAT THE LOWER SWEEP OF THE IMPELLER WILL BE GENERALY AT THE SAME LEVEL AS THE TOPS OF THE TIES, DISPOSING THE AXIS OF THE IMPELLER GENERALLY PERPENDICULAR TO THE RAILS, TRAVERSING THE IMPELLER BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN THE RAILS IN A PATH GENERALLY PERPENDICUALR TO THE RAILS, AND WHILE THE IMPELLER IS BEING SO TRAVERSED, MOVING THE IMPELLER IN A DIRECTION GENERALLY PARALLEL TO THE RAILS AT A LINEAR RATE OF SPEED SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN THE TRAVERSING RATE OF SPEED. 